Rafa Benitez has issued a simple message to Newcastle United’s fan base ahead of the final 18 games of the Sky Bet Championship season.

The Spaniard was in upbeat mood as he entered the room on the eve of the game with Derby County.

His mere presence was galvanising for anybody who cares about Newcastle, and he seemed to be oozing positive energy.

There’s no doubt that Benitez was an unhappy manager on Wednesday night with the combination of throwing away the lead in the final minute and the poor end to the January window seeming to come to the surface.

But Benitez seemed to be ready to turn the page on events of the last month, and now he is hoping for a jumping atmosphere against the Rams.

He told the Chronicle: “I have said it from the start of the season - stick together. Maybe because we were doing so well it was not necessary, but now we have seen the other teams in the promotion race are strong at the same time.

“And they are doing well so it is really crucial for us to have the fans at home supporting the team. For the city and every single Newcastle United fan it doesn’t matter what happened in the transfer window, the main thing is that we stick together and help the team get promotion.

“After that we have plenty of time to analyse things. Now is the time to realise that we can’t waste energy blaming each other.

“We have to concentrate on the things that happen during the game.”

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Brighton’s loss to Huddersfield may hand Newcastle the chance to return to the top of the table this weekend.

And there’s been much made about the chasing pack and whether they can catch the top two.

Benitez said: “You have so many games. We have already seen Brighton lose to Huddersfield. Anything can still happen.

“We have to make sure we carry on and keep working hard. We have to make sure we are giving everything and having a chance to be promoted.”